When Denver’s annual PrideFest, “Worldwide Pride…Connect the Dots,” gets under way this weekend in Civic Center Park, it will continue to provide programming as diverse as its constituency, with the usual mix of tried-and-true activities — among them, the family field day and kids’ parade, Volleypalooza in Congress Park, the…
Dick Kreck is sitting beside the shrine to Frank Sinatra in Gaetano’s, the restaurant at 3760 Tejon Street that the Smaldone family ran for almost sixty years, from 1947 until the Wynkoop Family of Restaurants bought the joint in 2005. The restaurant wasn’t the Smaldones’ only business venture, of course…
Denver’s alternative comic artists — including such longtime scenesters as John Porcellino, who’s been turning out his King-Cat Comics for twenty years, and Stan Yan and Lonnie Allen of the local co-op Squidworks — are largely unsung, regardless of the quality of their work. They know all about each other,…
I have a few old T-shirts in my closet. They hang there, proverbial skeletons, so boring that I can’t imagine ever removing one from its hanger and actually putting it on. But I don’t throw them away, either. And my eleven-year-old daughter has drawers full of oversized camp T-shirts and…
Oscar Wilde is one of those rare writers whose work transcends time. “I would say that he remains as pertinent today as he really ever was; his comments were so wonderful,” says Simone Groene-Sackett, education program assistant for the Denver Public Library. That’s why the DPL’s Fresh City Life, in…
Since the Colorado Shakespeare Festival is one of the top Shakespeare festivals in the country — and one of only seven that has staged every last one of Shakespeare’s 37 plays — the people who put together the annual program know they’re taking a chance every time they move beyond…
MCA Denver’s building was constructed with six small or mid-sized galleries (two on the first floor and four on the second), a decision that was dictated by the functional program developed by former director Cydney Payton. She laid out this idea of a multiplicity of discrete spaces instead of large…
Barbara Takenaga and Mary Ehrin. These two solos feature contemporary work that’s informed by the influence of nature. Barbara Takenaga: Fade Away & Radiate, comprises a nice selection of abstracts by a New York artist who lived for many years in Colorado. Mary Ehrin: Rockspace is an installation by a…
“I just want to blend in,” claims banjoist Béla Fleck early in Throw Down Your Heart, a documentary about his musical journey to Africa (where the banjo originated). A moment later, after glancing at the native performers around him, he admits, “I’m not going to blend in.” Yet he often…
Fifteen minutes after seeing The Proposal, I’d forgotten I’d seen The Proposal. Well, that’s not entirely true: By then, it had simply merged in my memory with a thousand other films just like it — those in which phony lovers bound together by dubious circumstances become honest-to-kissin’ couples in just…
It’s funny how all discussion of the Mafia these days references The Sopranos — that distinctive accent; Carmela’s American-Italian cooking with its thick red sauces; the racism and homophobia; the women who were either protected and indulged family members or whores; the vivid energy of the culture; the sense of…
Two old men are seated at a table talking. They may be on a hotel terrace, in an old-age home, at a hospital. All we know is that the place is by the sea. The men seem sad and beaten down by life; they have odd physical tics and converse…
The success of Slumdog Millionaire has kicked off a minor craze for the extravagant and colorful musical-film industry of India. If you’ve been bitten by the bug, then you’ll enjoy tonight’s Hooray for Bollywood fundraiser for Congregation Nevei Kodesh, with authentic Indian cuisine, dance instruction from Bollywood West, music from…
The dandelion is one of the most maligned, misunderstood flowers of all time, says Tonja Reichley of MoonDance Botanicals. Why? “All the parts of dandelions have medicinal and herbal benefits; it’s one of our favorite herbs.” And it’s why Reichley decided to name her festival Dandelion: A Celebration of Local…
Frisco will be a carnivore’s dream this weekend as Colorado’s best ribs, pork shoulder, brisket and chicken are smoked and grilled on Main Street. The 16th annual Colorado BBQ Challenge is the real deal — a Kansas City Barbecue Society-sanctioned qualifier to the Super Bowl of all BBQ events —…
Max Montrose, a Regis University junior studying sociology, anthropology and art, was hanging out in his pajamas at the coffeehouse early one morning when he noticed a guy, “this middle-aged dude,” trying to get on the Internet without much luck. Choosing to show random kindness, Montrose gave him a hand,…
Fashion-forward Denver residents know that our fair city might not be a Milan, Paris or New York — but we can still hold our own in the cutthroat scene of what’s hot and what’s not. Part of our edge comes from a crop of talented local designers, but it’s also…
Although green roofs are all the rage in Europe, many people out west might not have ever heard of them. “A synonym would be a vegetative roof; in some areas, they call them eco roofs,” explains Mark Fusco, senior horticulturalist for the Denver Botanic Gardens. It’s pretty much exactly what…
“I just want to blend in,” claims banjoist Béla Fleck early in Throw Down Your Heart, a documentary about his musical journey to Africa (where the banjo originated). A moment later, after glancing at the native performers around him, he admits, “I’m not going to blend in.” Yet he often…
The bridge from Mad Max to Kill Bill crosses years, but not much distance: A starstruck Quentin Tarantino admits to being an unabashed fan of the ´70s explosion of exploitative Australian films and unapologetically copied them. A genre set off when repressed Aussie filmmakers were freed from the shackles of…
Dandies, don your best argyle sweater vest and your nicest knickers, polos and plaid for Space Gallery’s first Country Club Classic, a beer tasting with a golf theme. Bring your best twosome, foursome or whateversome for nine holes of fun. But instead of packing clubs, bring your palate, because the…
Denver’s Juneteenth Festival fell on hard times and went on hiatus a few years ago. “The event wasn’t financially feasible, and there wasn’t a great organization backing it,” says Dana Juniel, co-chair of marketing for the festival. “Last year was the rebirth, bringing it back and focusing on the real…
